munroe



(No Model.) v 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. H MUNROE & T. C. SULLIVAN.

REGISTERING AND GANGELING BALLOT BOX.

No.. 333,145. Patented Dec. 29, 1885.

INVENTUHE WIT M55555 (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. H. MUNROE & T. O. SULLIVAN REGISTERING AND GANGELING BALLOT BOX.

No. 333,145. PatentedrDeo. 29, 1885..

iii-I flNVENTggE 3 fim WITNEEEEE N. PETERS. Plmlo-Lillwgmplwr. \Vnshinglwm D. c.

(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 3. W. H. MUNROE-k T. 0. SULLIVAN.

REGISTERING AND GANGEL'ING BALLOT BOX.

Patented Dec. 29,1885.

' hWENTUHE WITNEEEEE f? (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. W. H. MUNROE '83 T G. SULLIVAN.

REGISTERING AND GANOELING BALLOT BOX. No. 333,145.

I Patented Dec. 29, 1885 NVENTUHE %6/@Wa UNrrEn STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

WILLIAM H. MUNROE AND TIMOTHY G. SULLIVAN, OF BOSTON, MASS.

REGlSTERlNG AND CANCELING BALLOT-BOX.

EJZ EGIFECATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,145, dated December 29, 1885.

Application filed September 23, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. llIUNROE and TIMOTHY G. SULLIVAN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ballot-Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification,

of the registering mechanism.

in which- I Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved ballot-box in position for receiving a ballot. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism, which is attached to the under side of the top of the box. Fig. 3 is a plan of the under side of the same. Fig. 4: is a vertical longitudinal section through the center of the same. Fig. 5 is an elevation of a portion of the side of the mechanism opposite to that shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a view of one of the segmental printing rolls detached, the printingdisks being removed from their shaft. Fig. 7 is a view of a portion of the top of the box and its sliding cover inverted. Fig. 8 is a plan of a portion of one of the segmental rolls, showing a portion of one of its ribs having sunken letters or type on its printing-face. Fig: 9 is a section of the same. Fig. 10 is a plan of the printing-disks. Figs. 11, 12, and 13 are side elevations of three of the printingdisks shown in Fig. 10. Figs. 14 and 15 are side elevations of the two end or outside disks Fig. 16 is a plan of the segmental printing-rolls. Fig. 17 is a side elevation of the alarm-bell and its operative mechanism; Figs. 18 and 19, details to be referred to.

Our invention relates to certain improvements on the ballot-box for which Letters Patent of the United States, No. 311,512,were granted to us February 3, 1885, and has for its object to simplify the construction of the mechanism and render it more certain and reliable in its action; and to this end our invention consists in certain novel combinations of parts and details of construction, as hereinafter set forth, and specifically claimed.

In the said drawings, A represents the body of the box, B the cover or slide, which is provided on two sides or edges with tongues a, which fit into grooves bin the sides of the Serial No.177,163. (N0 model.)

opening in the top D of the box in which the cover moves.

O is the door through which the ballots are removed after the voting.

To the under surface of the top D is secured by screws 0, or otherwise, a plate, G, having east integral therewith a chute, H, of the form seen in Fig. 4, which opens downwardly, and is adapted to receive the tickets or ballots and deliver them to the printing mechanism. To the sides of the chute H are secured two plates, (Z (Z, which serve to support the printing mechanism and parts connected therewith. In these plates are journaled horizontally two segmental parallel rolls, I K, one of the journals of the roll I being provided outside the plate (I with a gear, L, and one of the journals of the roll K with a gear, M, which intermeshes with the gear L. To the journal of the roll K is secured, outside the gear M, another gear N, which inter-meshes with an intermediate gear, P, journaled on a short stud, f, this latter gear engaging with and being oscillated by the teeth of a horizontal rack, Q, which is located at one side or edge of the cover B, and forms a portion of one of its tongues a, and thus as the cover is drawn out and pushed in to open and close the box the rolls I K are partially rotated or rocked first in one direction and then in the other, in a manner similar to that described in our aforesaid Letters Patent of February 3, 1885, and by placing the rack Q at the edge of the cover, so as to form a part of one of its tongues, the construction is greatly simplified and additional strength secured, while all possibility of bending the rack, so as to disconnect it from the gear 3?,

byintroducing an instrument whenthe cover is drawn out, is avoided and tampering with the box in this manner prevented.

The segmental rolls 1K, which are hollow are provided on the convex or outer side with parallel ribs 9 g h h, Fig. 16, the ribs 9 of the roll I being provided with sunken letters ortype, Figs. 8 and 9, adapted to print on the ballot the words \Vard and Precinct, together with their numbers and the name of the city or town, and the ribs h of the roll K, which are opposite to those of the roll I, being composed of or covered with rubber or other suitable elastic materiahto form yielding beds J for the types on the ribsg to roll over,wher eby the words or characters are embossed, as well as printed in color, and thus made visible on both sides of the ballot.

A further advantage incident to the em ployment of sunken or intaglio type is that they cause the printing mechanism -torun more smoothly than ordinary raised type.

Each of the rolls I K is provided with two curved springs, Z Z, which are composed of narrow strips of steel or other elastic metal and extend around from one edge, 20, of the roll, where they are permanently fastened to the opposite edge, 21, being disposed in circular form from n to p, and then bent and extending in a straight line from p to 21, at which latter point they are each secured to the edge of the roll by a screw, 58, passing through a slot, 7', Fig. 6, whereby they are allowed to yield or move inward at these slotted ends to permit articles which may fall into the chute to pass the printing-rolls without injuring them. The springs Z are kept steady and prevented from being moved latterally by rectangular projections s, which fit into the slots 1', as seen in Fig. 6. The two springs of a pair which are opposite each other are arranged to be in constant contact as the rollsare rocked, and serve to catch the ballots as they drop into the chute Hand properly present them to the type for printing. The curved portions of these springs l are each provided with a rib, q, which corresponds to and forms a continuation ofth'e rib g or h, which is in line therewith, the ribs of the springs of the roll I being of hard material and the surface of the ribs of the springs of the roll K of elastic or yielding material, and these ribs form printing-surfaces, by means of which stripes are printed on both sides of the ballot, thus insuring the canceling of the same on its face, as required by law in some localities, without regard to the side which may be uppermost when it is put into the box. The flattened portions 38 of the springs, from p to 21, cause the ballot to be released with absolute certainty by said springs just before the. cover B is fully closed, which insures the ballot being dropped into the box A beneath and prevents any liability of its being carried back again by the rolls when the cover B is again drawn back to open the box.

tu, Fig. 4, are the inking-rolls, the shafts of which are journaled in supporting-arms w, pivoted to the plates d, the two arms w on each sidebeing connected by two rods or links, a a, which are brought t'ogetherat their lower endsiand connected to aspring, b, as seen in Fig. 5, by which meansthe ink-rolls are kept up ,to their work, and also allowed to yield, as required.

c c are two curved plates, which are secured to the supporting-plates d, and extend beneath the rolls I K. The upper edges of these plates 0 areso disposed and shaped as to form scrapers, which serve to scrape'ofi or detach any ballot which may accidentally adhere to the printing-surfaces of the rolls or springs, and which, if not removed, would prevent the subsequent ballot from being canceled.

The roll I is hollow, and is provided with an elongated slot or opening, d, Figs. 4, 6, and 16, through which project the peripheries of four printing-disks, 1 2 3 4, which are mounted on a horizontal rock-shaft, i, which is journaled in proper bearings in the roll, and has secured to'one end, outside the roll, a forked or v-shaped lever, k, the inner sides of the two arms of which are alternately brought into contact with a removable'pin, Z, which is placed in a suitable socket or aperture in 'one of the plates cl, and secured. therein by a pin or key, m, Figs. 5 and 19, and thus as the roll I is partially rotated in one direction the shaft 6 is. turned a distance equal to onetenth of its circumference, and on the return movement of the roll the shaft 'i' is turned back again to its original position, the movement of the lever It being limited in either direction by suitable stop-pins projecting from the end of the roll I. The peripheries of the printingdisks 1 2 3 are provided with raised types, from A to J, inclusive, and the disk 4 with a series of ten letters and characters, and each of these disks is provided with a series of notches, 25, in its periphery, with which engage a series of spring-catches, 26, Fig. 4, secured to the inner side of the roll, by which the disks are prevented from accidentally turning backward on the shaft.

The disks 1 2 3 4, respectively, represent 7 v units, tens, hundreds, and thousands, and for each revolution of disk 4 disk 1 is revolved one thousand times. The outer printing-disk, l, is provided with aratchet-wheel, e, secured firmly to the outer side of said disk, as seen in Fig. 11, the shaft t" being provided with a fixed arm, f, having a pawl, g, actuatedby a spring and adapted to engage said ratchetwheel. .A series of corresponding lateral holes, 27, are formed in each of the disks 2 and 3,, near their peripheries, and disposed in a corresponding hole in disk 1 there isa short spring, push-pin, 28, acorresponding pushpin being disposed in each of the disks 2 and 3.

IIO

Asthe shaft 2" is moved or rocked by the means described the disk 1 is moved forward by the pawl g one-tenth of a revolution, and on the backward movement of the shaft '27 the pawl will slip over the teeth of the ratchet wheel e preparatory to moving the disk 1 forward another step. After disk 1 has been intermittingly rotated, as described, ninetenths of arevolution, the end 41, Fig. 10, of the arm f, which is inclined or beveled on its inner side for'that purpose, strikes the outer end of the spring push-pin 28 and forces it through disk. 1 into one of the holes 27 of disk 2.; Disk 1 is then moved forward another notch or space, carrying disk 2 with it; but at the next advance of disk 1 the arm f is moved off the pin 28, permitting its spring (not shown) to push it outwardly and uncouple disks 1 and 2. Disk 1 is now turned intermittingly anothe; complete revolution, when the arm f again overrides the spring pushpin 28, forcingit inwardly, as before, and cansing it to engage disk 2, which is moved an other step, as before, and so on until disk 2 has been turned nine-tenths of one revolution, when the next revolution of disk 1 will bring its push-pin opposite the push-pin in disk 2, and when the lever f forces in the pin 28 it will also force the push-pin in disk 2 into one of the holes 27 in disk 3, which in its turn will now be revolved in the same manner as described for disks 1 and 2, and when disk 3 has been turned ninetenths of a revolution the push-pins of disks 1, 2, and 3 will be brought into line, and when these several push-pins are forced inward by the means above de scribed the push-pin of disk 3 will be forced into one of five holes, 42, in disk 4, which holes 42 are arranged at equal distances apart, as seen in Fig. 13, and all four disks will then be coupled and moved together one step forward, exposing one of the characters or letters on the disk 4 and indicating that one thousand ballots have been cast, the letters A B O, &c., on the disks 1 2 3 being used in place of the corresponding numerals, 1 2 3, &c., except on the disk 4, on which any one of the letters or characters, as may be selected, indicates a thousand, while the next one in succession may be used as a symbol to accompany the letters printed by the disks 1 2 3, as the latter commence to record another thousand. Disk 4having now been moved forward to indicate one thousand, it now becomes necessary to move it forward on the next movementof the disk 1 to bring a new character or letter into line, which, not being known to outside parties, will prevent all danger of counterfeiting. This movement of the disk 4 could not be accomplished by the push-pin of disk 3, as it is withdrawn by its spring from the hole 42 in said disk 4 as soon as the arm f passes off the pin 28. Consequently a separate device is required for this purpose, which will now be described. On the inside of the flange n of the disk 4 are live radial pins, 29, arranged at equal distances apart around its circumference, and on the shaft t" adjacent thereto is fixed an arm, q, Fig. 13, which carries a pawl, 1*, which is adapted to engage with the pins 29 when thelatter are within the range of its motion. 7

iVhen the disks 1 2 3 are being moved, as above described, the pawl r is reciprocated between two contiguous pins 29 without engaging either, owing to their distance apart; but when disk 4 is moved one step to indicate one thousand one of the pins 29 is brought into such a position with relation to the range of movement of the pawl r that the latter will engage the pin so that the next rocking movement of the shaft 2" will turn the disk 4 one-tenth of a revolution forward to bring the succeeding character or letter on its periphery into position to print as desired. The distance between the pins 29 is, however, such that the pawl r cannot engage with the next one on its succeeding movement, and consequently disk 4 remains stationary until it is moved to indicate another thousand, when the next pin 29 will be brought into position to be engaged by the pawl r, when the operation will be as before.

The method of operating the disks 1, 2, 3, and 4 by means of the push-pins, as described, is the same as that described in our aforesaid Letters Patent for operating disks 1, 2, and 3; but the mechanism herein described for actuating disk 4 immediately after it has been moved to indicate one thousand is entirely different from that described in our aforesaid patent, while the disk 4 herein described bears ten characters on its periphery, instead of two, as in our said patent, and when operated as described affords additional security against fraud or counterfeiting.

The rocking of the shaft 1' by means of the V-shaped lever is and contact-pin Z causes the printing mechanism to be operated with certainty without rendering it necessary to draw out the cover B to its full extent, as was necessary in the ballot-box described in our aforesaid patent, which is an important advantage, as it insures the operation of the printingdisks each time the cover is opened sufficiently to admit a ballot and again closed.

The pin Z is made removable in order that the box may be operated without any change in the printing-disks, as is sometimes required, and when this is the case it is simply necessary to remove the key m and draw the pin Z out of its socket, or withdraw it sufficiently to remove it from the path of the lever It, when the rolls will operate without producing any oscillation of the shaft 2".

The registering mechanism for indicating the number of ballots cast is located at the front of the box or casing A, and consists of a series of disks or rolls, It S T, which are mounted on a shaft, 8, journaled in suitable bearings, 30. The disks R S are respectively provided with numbersfrom lto 9 and a naught or cipher, and the disk T with numbers from 1 to 8, inclusive, and two naughts or ciphers, the registering mechanism in this case being intended to register only eight hundred votes and then begin anew, the number of votes indicated being visible through an elongated slot, 25, in the front of the top D of the box A. These disks R S T are operated in the same manner and by means of mechanism similar to that of the printing-disks 1 2 3, being actuated by the rocking or oscillation of the shaft 8, which is provided with an arm, a, and pawl 10', similar to those f g of the shaft 1" of the printing-rolls, the disk It being provided with a ratchet-Wheel, c and the disks having spring-push pins and lateral holes similar to those of the disks 1 2 3, and also peripheral I from accidentally turning backward on the ..tion.

shaft 8. The shaft 8 is also provided with an arm, b and pawl 0 Fig. 15,which is adapted to engage with radial pins 31 on the inside of the flange 32 of the disk T, but instead of a series of five pins, as in the disk 4, but two are employed, and these are so arranged with respect to the position of the pawl 0 and at such distance apart, that after the disk T has been moved to bring the figure 8 into line to indicate 800 the pawl 0 will on the next two consecutive movements of the shaft 8 and first disk, R, engage first one pin, 31, and then the next, whereby the disk T is moved forward two-tenths of a revolution, thus bringing the last of the two ciphers on this disk into line, so that'in counting up another 800 after 799 has been registered, the figure 8 will be in a proper position to be brought into line on the next movement of the disk T.

It is obvious that if the registering mechanism was designed to register 700 the disk T would bear the figures 1 to 7, inclusive, and

'three ciphers, and would be provided with three pins, 31, and so 011.

The shaft 8 is oscillated in the following manner: At one end is secured a. crank, (1 to which is pivoted a connecting-rod, 6 which is pivoted at its opposite end to a forked or V-shaped bell-crank lever, f, Figs. 2 and 18, pivoted at 33 to a bracket, 41, secured to the plate G. The inner sides of the two arms 51 of the lever f 2 are alternately acted upon by a pin, 9, projecting out from the side of the intermediate gear, P, and thus as the latter is oscillated the pin 9 is caused to rock the lever f alternately in opposite directions, and thus impart the necessary movements to the shaft 8' in a smooth, steady, and uniform manner.

As each vote is registered and printed or canceled it is dropped into the box A and an alarm is struck on a bell, h, the spring hammer-arm t" of which is attached to a pivoted arm, 52, which is'provided with a spring-bolt, having a beveled outer end, which allows it to be pressed in by the contact of a pin, 63, on a crank, 35, secured to the end of the shaft 3, as the latter is moved in one direc- On the return movement of the shaft 8 the pin 63 is brought intocontact with the bolt 70 and rocks the arm 52 against the stress of a spring, 34, and draws back the hammer- -arm a, which, when released by the pin 63 passing out of contact with the bolt k strikes a blow upon the bell, as required.

It is obvious that instead of the letters on the printing-disks l 2 3 4 numbers may be used, if desired; also that the words Ward and Precinct on the roll I may be omitted, or other words substituted therefor.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the rocker-shaft i and the printing-disks mounted. thereon and operated-thereby, of the V-shaped or bifurcated lever is, secured to the end of the shaft i, and the contact pin or projection Z, for producing a movement of the lever when the roll I is rocked, whereby the shaft Z is oscillated to operate the prin'tingdisks without drawing out the cover B to its full extent, substantially as described.

k, and having the printing-disks mounted thereon, of the contact-pin Z, made removable from its socket or holder, as described, and

provided with means for looking or holding it in position, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the printing-disks 1 2 3 4, shaft 46, on which they are mounted, and means, substantially as described, for connecting and actuating said disks, of the radial pins 29 on the inside of the flange n of the disk 4, the arm g on the shaft Z, and the springpawl '1', carried by said arm q, said pawl 1" being adapted to engage one of the pins 29 after the disk 4 has been turned one step forward, whereby a second forward movement is given to the disk 4 on the next movement of the shaft 1', substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with the printing-disks 1 2 3, mounted .upon the shaft Z, and means,- substantially as described, for connecting and actuating the same, of the disk 4, having letters or characters extending around its periphery, and means for moving said disk forward one step at each complete revolution of the disk 3, and then again moving the said disk 4 another step forward at the next movement of the shaft Z, and leaving it in that position until the next complete revolution of the disk 3, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the segmental rolls I K, of the springs Z, each extending around from one edge of the segment-roll to the other edge, and each connected at the movable end to the said segment by a slot and screw and having the flattened portion .38,

substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination, with the segmental rolls I K and the slotted springs Z, secured thereto-at their movable ends by the screws 58, of the projections s, fitting within the slots 7', whereby the springs Z are prevented from' moving laterally, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the segmental rolls I K, of the springs Z, extending around from one edge of the segment to the other and provided with projections or ribs q, formthe cover B, of the rack Q, located at one edge of the same and forming a portion of one of the tongues a of the cover, said rack being operating substantially as and for the purpose adapted to engage with a gear through which set forth. motion is communicated to the printing-rolls Witness our hands this 19th day of Septem- I K, substantially as and for the purpose deher, A. D. 1885.

5 scribed. T

9. The combination, With the shaft 8 of the registering mechanism and the registeringdisks mounted thereon, of the crank d the In presence ofconnecting-rod e V-shaped be1l-crank lever P. E. TESOHEMAOHER, 10 f and the pin on the oscillating gear P, all WV. J. CAMBRIDGE. 

